Nagaland

The peace process between the
government of India and the Naga armed opposition groups which started in 1997
failed to make any breakthrough. The ceasefire with
the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) was extended indefinitely from
1 August 2007 subject to progress in talks while the ceasefire with NSCN (K) was also extended
up to 27 April 2008.

On 23 November 2007, a third faction
known as National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Unification) was formed when
the NSCN (IM) and NSK (K) signed a historic joint declaration “to bring an end
to the fratricidal killings” at Niuland near Dimapur. But the NSCN (I-M)
rejected the unification declaration. On 26 November 2007, Chairman of the NSCN
(I-M), Isak Chisi Swu described the Niuland Declaration of 23rd November as “controversial unification initiatives” and that “any independent
unity move, deliberately done through the back door, shall not be acceptable”
to NSCN-IM. Mr Swu however maintained that his group supported “reconciliation, unity and peace of all the Nagas”.

Violence was for the most
part confined to inter-factional fighting between NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (K). According
to the Ministry of Home Affairs, in 2007 the killing of civilians in Nagaland recorded
the highest number of deaths (44 deaths) since 2003. 29 civilians were killed
in 2006, 28 in 2005, 42 in 2004 and 13 in 2003. The
MHA also stated that one security personnel died in 2007 while 211 cadres of
AOGs were killed/arrested/surrendered.

On 3 October 2007, four persons, three
civilians and an alleged cadre of NSCN-IM of Chakhesang community from Kikruma
village in Phek district were killed by alleged cadres of NSCN (K) in an ambush
in Kohima.

In October 2007, a truck
driver reportedly died from injuries after he was beaten up by the Nagaland
Police at Lalmati area in Kohima.

On 28 January 2007, the NSCN (Kaplang)
issued ‘Final Quit Notice’ to the the Tangkhul community to leave Nagaland by 5 February 2007.

Endnotes:

1.Govt-NSCN
ceasefire extended indefinitely, The Indian Express, 1 August 2007